Ritu Handa (Photo: Latha Venkatraman)

Ritu Chandel Handa started running in 2014. Three years later she did her first 100 miler – Mumbai2Pune 100 miles. This is her story.

South Mumbai has a charm to it. At its southern end, Sobo (short for South Bombay) as South Mumbai is often called, converges into a study of contrasts. There are the bustling roadside shops of Colaba selling jewellery, clothes and artefacts, the unexpected quietness of its bylanes, the high rises of Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade, the heritage buildings of Churchgate, Flora Fountain and Fort, and not far from all this, by the sea, that sea front of four kilometres called Marine Drive.

Marine Drive is a great place to run. Early mornings and evenings here witness plenty of people out for a jog or a walk. Another nice place to run is Navy Nagar but access here is restricted to navy and army personnel and their families. In 2014 Commander Sunil Handa of the Indian Navy was transferred to Mumbai from Visakhapatnam. He was a runner, having begun his tryst with distance running in 2004, around the time the Mumbai marathon made its debut in India’s financial capital. Ritu Chandel Handa, Sunil’s wife, was familiar with her husband’s affection for running. Her own story in the sport started a decade later, when the family shifted to Mumbai. By 2014, her two daughters had grown up and she could afford to take time out to pursue running. There was also the effect Mumbai’s running ecosystem had on her; few cities in India turn out to run as Mumbai does.

(From left) Cdr Sunil Handa and Ritu with others during a run at Yeoor Hills (Photo: courtesy Ritu Handa)

Almost 1500 km north east of Mumbai is the state of Himachal Pradesh. Geographically, it is a composite of the foothills of the Himalaya and the main ranges. Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh straddles elevations ranging from 427 meters to 6401 meters above mean sea level. The district lay in western Himachal Pradesh; its lowest elevation pertains to plains bordering Punjab, while its highest elevations fall in the Dhauladhar Range, part of lesser Himalaya. Life in hilly terrain is ideal for building endurance. The altitude, daily life tackling gradients and slopes – they have an impact on human physiology. As with life anywhere, when you are born to the hills and grow up there, you rarely notice how the geography shapes you. It takes an instance when specific qualities are called for, to put such past in perspective and notice what it meant. Ritu realized that in middle age, when she completed her first 100 miler.

Born December 1972 in Kangra, Ritu did her school and college education in Himachal Pradesh. Then she moved to Rajasthan’s Banasthali University to do her B.Ed. Through these years, sports was completely absent in her schedule. Her first deliberate foray into physical activity happened after marriage, when she joined a gym in December 1999. “I liked gyming,’’ she said. Married to a naval officer, access to gyms was easy given accommodation provided by the armed forces typically included urban amenities. “But now I like running,’’ she said with afterthought. Running was Mumbai’s gift.

Unlike Kangra of her childhood, Navy Nagar is flat land. That’s where Ritu started to train, discovering slowly in the process, the capacity for endurance she had. During the first year of her running, when it came to events, Ritu took part in10 kilometer-runs. Her first half marathon (21km) was during the 2016 Thane Hiranandani Half Marathon. She kept her training runs restricted to the South Mumbai area because she wished to be closer to home and her daughters, aged 15 and 12. Meanwhile, husband Sunil, had considerably notched up his mileage. He was becoming known in Mumbai running circles as a runner of the ultramarathon; featuring distances in excess of 42 km. Sunil would go on to complete demanding races like the 111 km and 222 km segments of La Ultra The High, held annually in Ladakh.

Ritu with Milind Soman (Photo: courtesy Ritu Handa)

Given husband who was an ultramarathon runner, it wasn’t long before the curiosity got to Ritu – can I run an ultramarathon?  “ I wanted to try it at least once,’’ she said. Sunil was keen that she push her limits. What they needed was the right opportunity. That came courtesy Milind Soman, endurance athlete, model and actor, who is associated with the Pinkathon initiative. “ Milind was organizing a multi-stage 100 mile-run from Mumbai to Pune for Pinkathon and he suggested that I attempt it,” Ritu said. According to her, she didn’t think twice about taking up the offer, which would see a paradigm shift in the distance she would tackle. She may have been running 10km and 21 km races until then but all along, she had wanted a shot at the ultramarathon. This was her chance. She took it up. The year was 2017.

One reason why Ritu felt comfortable attempting the 100 miler was that Milind had envisaged a structured approach with training plan and progressive sieving of potential participants to the best eligible lot. As part of training for the event, Milind first organized a six-hour training run at Mumbai’s Goregaon. The distance of 36 km that Ritu covered during those six hours was not impressive but it gave her the confidence that she could do such events. “At the end of the run I was perfectly alright,” she said. How you feel after pushing yourself is a good index of what you can do, how much more you can take and how much work you need to put in to do that. A couple of months later on July 30, Ritu took part in a six-hour night run organized by Mumbai based-coach, Haridasan Nair. Sunil ran with Ritu at her pace the entire time. For him, the run served as training for his upcoming 222 km-run at La Ultra The High in Ladakh. That night, Ritu logged 41 km. “I was not comfortable running at night,’’ she said. Fifteen days later, on August 13, she ran the 12-hour Mumbai Ultra where Ritu was able to cover a distance of 62 km.

Cdr Sunil Handa and Ritu; from Sunil’s successful attempt at the 222 km-segment of La Ultra The High in Ladakh (Photo: courtesy Ritu Handa)

Two days later she travelled to Leh to be part of support crew for Sunil during his shot at the 222 km-segment of La Ultra The High. Ritu was to join Sunil at the 78 km-mark, one of the cut-off points in the race. “I was waiting for Sunil at the 78 km cut-off. Time kept ticking by and I started to panic,’’ she said. Panic soon turned to tears as there was no sign of Sunil. “Dr Rajat Chauhan (organizer of La Ultra, The High) kept reassuring me that Sunil would make it. Then at 10:50 hours with just 10 minutes left for cut-off, Sunil emerged, much to everyone’s relief,’’ she said. Ritu and Rigzin Chosdon, an athlete from Ladakh, ran with Sunil. “I would run 10 km and take a break while Rigzin ran the next10 km with Sunil,’’ she said. Ritu ran a total of 50 km with Sunil at altitude; Ladakh’s average elevation is around 10,000 feet. The naval officer completed the race’s 222 km-distance in 46 hours 21 minutes, placing third.

Once back from Ladakh, Ritu started her training for the 100 miler. “Milind gave a training schedule for all the women participating in the 100 miler. Sunil also created a training program specifically for me,’’ she said. The training plan entailed running for five days a week with weekday mileages of around 10 km and weekend mileage approximating 50 km. “ Fact is that I followed only 70 per cent of the training program given by Milind,’’ Ritu said. Nevertheless, she made it to the final stages of selection for running the 100 miler from Mumbai to Pune. “ I felt I could go for it,’’ she said. According to her, Milind, who was tracking the performance of potential participants, kept streamlining the final list of runners eligible to take part in Mumbai2Pune 100 miles.

From the Mumbai-Pune 100 miler (Photo: courtesy Ritu Handa)

Little over a month after her Ladakh outing, Ritu travelled to Manali with her family. “Sunil was running 60 km as part of Hell’s Race. I had no plans to run this event. But when I got there I decided to do the 30 km-segment and went in for spot registration,” said Ritu. The course laid out mostly on trails across Manali was tough. Ritu took six hours to finish her run. “ It was really hell’s race. I will think twice before I go for a trail run,” she said. Meanwhile as part of training for the 100 miler, Milind Soman organized a run at Yeoor Hills in Thane on October 22. The runners participating were required to do ten loops of six kilometers each, in a time of 11 hours. At the end of this event, 20 women were chosen to do the 100 miler. Ritu was one of them.

On November 23, they 100 miler kicked off at 5 AM from Shivaji Park in Mumbai with five crew cars (one car for each set of four women runners) alongside. The first day was tough with pollution, heat and heavy traffic assailing the runners. Ritu and her team of four women covered a distance of 64 km. A major positive was the superb hydration and food support that runners enjoyed during the three-day run. The second day was much better despite the path being hilly. She covered a distance of 54 km. On the third and final day, she covered the remaining 38 km and reached Pune in the afternoon. According to Ritu, all the 20 women who participated completed the distance. Once the multi-stage 100 miler was done, it was time for Ritu to get back to her home and routine.

Ritu at a stadium run (Photo: courtesy Ritu Handa)

Running a 100 miler does not seem daunting to her. “ It is doable,’’ she said in an unassuming manner. Training is important to run ultra-marathon distances, she reiterated, almost like a mantra to herself. For someone who straddles 10 km, half marathon and now ultra-marathon distances, Ritu was however uneasy about running the full marathon. “ I will run ultras but I do not want to do a marathon,’’ she said.

Ritu’s observation won’t surprise runners. The full marathon, although only 42 km-long, is often more demanding than the ultramarathon because it comes packaged with the need to cover the distance in a reasonable amount of time. The required combination of stamina and speed makes one’s progress in a full marathon, challenging. Ultramarathon champion Scott Jurek, in his book “Eat & Run,” has noted that an ultramarathon isn’t as hard as a marathon. “ With the right training and support anyone can do an ultra,’’ he says. That said, the emergent quest with ultramarathon runners is to be able to maintain a steady pace for long. There are ultramarathons with stiff cut–offs and little external support; not to mention, many 100 milers are run in one stage. After all, what makes a run a race are the challenges added in.

(The author, Latha Venkatraman, is an independent journalist based in Mumbai.)

Ramachandra Rao (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

We spoke to Ramachandra Rao, winner in his age category (70 years and above) in the half marathon for men at the 2018 Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM). 

Much of Ramachandra Rao’s life was devoted to science.

It was so till questions about existence – traceable back to his student days at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – resurfaced and whisked him off to a dozen years of quiet contemplation. As with many people who explored the puzzle of existence, Rao’s responses during our conversation were replete with the urge to be as honest as possible and doing so, delving into blasts from the past suffused with clarity about the universe. Only then does the train of reasoning behind each response line up properly. It also spawned the struggle – where are the words to describe insight as accurately as possible?

Rao, 71, is a scientist specialized in organic chemistry. He used to work with a leading multinational company in the pharmaceutical sector; in their research lab. A combination of factors triggered journey to spiritual dimension. The fine research lab he worked at progressively shut down. Subsequent assignments he took up were not sufficiently engaging. Those days, the Indian R&D environment wasn’t a match for what MNCs offered. It disappointed Rao. At the same time, questions about the meaning of existence, long unanswered came back to haunt. There was also the coincidence of means to find answers – books on spirituality for example – landing up without him seeking them out. He had suspected all along that something was not adding up in materialistic world. It seemed time to apply his scientifically trained mind to those questions.

During the time Rao lived the withdrawn phase that followed his departure from employment, he stayed near the Mahalakshmi Race Course and at Churchgate, both parts of Mumbai quite close to the annual Mumbai marathon’s course. He admits to having been aware of the event; at Churchgate he could even hear the sea of runners passing by. But he had no interest in watching the marathon. The questions in his head held no room for running right then. Rao’s phase of withdrawal eventually made his mind quieter, helped him deal with his thoughts and lightered him as a human being. The journey also elicited a physical toll. By the time he shifted to Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, sustained lack of exercise meant he couldn’t walk for long and when it came to tackling stairways, he needed a railing for support. His wife, who is a regular walker, remembered Rao’s interest in sports and athletics while he was doing research in the US. She encouraged him to recommence running. He had no running shoes. Luckily an old pair belong to his son was available in the house. It took Rao a couple of months to find his stride and rhythm. There were also other challenges to overcome. A freak accident in childhood had ensured that Rao saw little with his right eye. His vision is therefore limited. On the other hand, Indian roads – the most accessible training surface for runner in this country – tend to be uneven and the traffic on them, unpredictable. It took some time getting used to early morning runs. Running in low light is difficult for Rao and when automobile headlights shine harshly, he is easily blinded. Nevertheless, once he found his groove, a new journey began.

A soft spoken person, Rao trains in Kharghar, now a bustling township. He is a good runner. In 2014, the first time he ran the half marathon at the Mumbai marathon, he ended up third in his age category. In 2015, he improved that to second position. He was also on the podium twice (in the half marathon category), at the Satara Hill Marathon. At Kharghar, he trains five days a week. His companion on some of these training runs is triathlete Meena Barot, who lives in the same township. According to Rao, Tuesdays are kept for an easy run. On Wednesday, he runs fast “ like a tempo run, making sure I don’t exhaust myself.’’ In terms of distance, this would span 8-10 km. He does not run on Thursday. Friday, he does interval training with adequate gap between sets to rest and recover. On Saturday he does an easy run of not more than eight kilometers. He does a long run of anywhere between 15-20 km on Sunday. He also does some strength training. Running in Kharghar used to be more enjoyable; nowadays it gets occasionally taxing. “ There are factories in Taloja nearby and my trained organic chemist-nose quickly senses pollutants in the air,’’ Rao said, adding that several runner-friends have shifted their training towards the adjacent township of Belapur to escape the pollution.

Like most runners, Rao had his share of experiments with running shoes. Finding suitable shoes in India is tough; generically, the nature of shoe sales here is such that finer details get glossed over. Rao has slightly wide feet with requirement for a large toe box. A perfect fit eluded him. Then four to five years ago, he began trying barefoot-running. The transition was both testing and time consuming. “ You have to be patient,’’ Rao said. Navi Mumbai runners, Surya and Shyam Sunder, introduced him to Vibram’s collection of minimalist footwear. It worked well for Rao. Even the old back pain he had, subsided. Then, a new problem emerged. Kharghar has relatively wide, straight roads and for hill running, there is that lovely road leading all the way up Kharghar Hill. The hill road, much valued by runners to train on, has fallen into a state of disrepair. Having found his ideal footwear for running in Vibram’s collection, Rao’s disappointment with the hill road’s condition and the poor surfacing of Indian roads in general, was pronounced. Uneven surface and lose gravel aggravate the pace of wear and tear on runner’s footwear; they also poke through soles, hurt runner’s feet, cause twists and such injuries. Injury has been a recurrent issue in Rao’s running, revived in his years as senior citizen. Rao does not participate in many events. Twice, in 2016 and 2017, he registered for the Mumbai marathon but could not run because of injury.

Ramachandra Rao (Photo: by arrangement)

His passage to the 2018 Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) started with gradual recovery from the last major injury, sustained in 2017. With injuries laying him low in 2016 and 2017, he had a technical problem to overcome – he had no valid timing certificate to submit for eligibility to register at TMM. To get one, he first participated in a half marathon at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) sponsored by Hindustan Times. He finished that run in 2:17. He applied for TMM and was accepted; his designated holding area at the start line of the race, was `E.’ From past experience at the Mumbai marathon, Rao knew how holding areas lower down the alphabetic order can be. You risk getting trapped behind a wall of runners. There is also much pushing and jostling, something he prefers to avoid, given age and limited vision. So in the days that followed he ran another half marathon at BKC, this time organized by the Indian Navy, covering the distance in 2:09. Then he requested the managers at TMM, if this new timing certificate could be considered when allotting holding area. To his delight, they accommodated his request. He graduated to `D.’

Race day was smooth for Rao except for some delay in accessing his first dose of hydration. TMM’s half marathon starts on the road along Worli sea-face. It then traverses up and down the massive bridge across the sea – popularly called Sea Link – before proceeding through Worli and Haji Ali to South Mumbai. The first aid station Rao passed by on the Sea Link was yet to be manned. At the second one, volunteers were just unpacking cartons of bottled water. In the hurry to access a sip, his limited vision ensured that he banged into one of the volunteers. It left Rao with a cut on his lip. From aid stations elsewhere on the course he availed two to three packs of oral rehydration solution. “ I need these replenishments; they are important for my running,’’ Rao said. He finished the half marathon discipline at 2018 TMM in 2:02:01, placing first in his age category (70 years and above). Seven years earlier and younger in age by as much, he had participated in his first running event – the Pune Half Marathon of November 2011. There, he had completed the distance in 2:06.

 “ It is strange, the happiness you get from the physical exertion of running and the happiness you get from the wakefulness that follows meditation – they feel similar,’’ he said.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.)   

Illustration: Shyam G Menon

This year, close to 45,000 people participated in the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM), Asia’s biggest in terms of participation and prize money. A growing marathon, in its fifteenth year amid Indian matrix of population and congestion, the event has its share of fatigue around the edges. Should it keep adding numbers or should it emphasize performance? While reinvigorating the Mumbai marathon is a matter for the organizers to mull over, runners continue to find the event a magnet. For the seasoned, it is an annual pilgrimage. For others, it is a rite of passage. Either way, they arrive. At the end of every edition, a few people find themselves on the podium. We spoke to a mix of runners, elite and amateur, who secured podium finish at 2018 TMM. Those featured: T Gopi, Nitendra Singh Rawat, Thomas Bobby Philip, Sabhajeet Yadav, Bhasker Desai, Vaijayanti Ingawale, Manoj Rane, Pervin Batliwala, K.C.Kothandapani, Simta Sharma, Dnyaneshwar Tidke, Khurshid Mistry and Idris Mohamed. Please scroll down to read what each person had to say.

Prepared Well And Finished First, Still It Could Have Been Better

T Gopi (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Thonakal Gopi: A relatively recent entrant to the marathon, Gopi was a pacer who amazed everyone by finishing second among Indian elite runners at the 2016 Mumbai marathon. The effort had earned the army runner a berth to run the full marathon at the Rio Olympics, which he did completing the discipline in 2:15:25, placing a creditable 25th. In November 2017, Gopi was in the news for winning the Asian Marathon Championship, the first Indian male athlete to do so. On January 21, 2018, at the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM), he placed first in the full marathon under the Indian elite category for men. He covered the 42 km-distance in 2:16:51 tad slower than his 2016 timing of 2:16:15. It was a tight finish with fellow army runner Nitendra Singh Rawat battling him to the line. That evening Gopi spoke to this blog. “ If I compare the outcome of today’s run with how much I practised, then I don’t think it is quite up to the mark. After the Asian Marathon Championship I got only a month or so to prepare. Despite limited time, I prepared well. Compared to that, I feel my performance wasn’t as good as it should have been. It didn’t match my expectations. There were some reasons for it – roughly ten days before reaching Mumbai I had pain in my hamstring and shin bone. There was the change in weather to deal with. Road condition also matters. I am not talking of ups and downs, I am referring to how even the road surface is. All this may have contributed. We had a pacer till around the 32 km-mark. Until the 27th kilometer, the pace was good; we seemed to be on par with the record. But after that for the next five to six kilometers, the pacer became trifle slow. Once he faded, it was only Nitin (Nitendra Singh Rawat) and I. I was leading but I couldn’t push alone. I think Nitin was also in the same position. In that last 10-12 kilometers, the run suffered some loss of quality. Overall therefore, the result wasn’t as I would have liked it to be,’’ Gopi said.

Another Podium But Is Anyone Listening?

Nitendra Singh Rawat (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Nitendra Singh Rawat:  Winner of the Indian elite category at the 2016 edition of the Mumbai marathon, Nitendra Singh Rawat was subsequently unlucky at the Rio Olympics, where injury hampered his performance. He finished 84th in the field. It was a costly injury, for the talented runner – he had set a course record at the 2016 Mumbai marathon – found himself out of the national camp. In early November 2017, when this blog caught up with him, Nitendra was training in Ranikhet, home of the the Indian Army’s Kumaon Regiment, to which he belonged. He was determined to make a comeback. Days later, on November 19, he produced his first major victory in a while, smashing the course record and bagging the title in the men’s Indian elite category at the 2017 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM). Soon afterwards, talking to the media, he said that he had aimed to win the race and prove that he belonged to the national camp. At the 2018 TMM, Nitendra finished a close second to Gopi, completing the full marathon in 2:16:54. A day after the race, he spoke to this blog about his outing at TMM. He said he had been running a full marathon at competitive level after a long time. He also wanted to make sure that he does not injure himself afresh. Repeating a point he had made before the media after the race, he said that chances of chasing the course record would have been brighter if the race had commenced tad early. Late start means the runners are pushing their limits in warm weather. Asked if he was now back in the national camp, Nitendra said that was yet to happen. He had trained for TMM at Ooty, renting his own accommodation and practising with other elite runners. He planned to return to Ooty.

Sub-Three Maintained

Thomas Bobby Philip (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Thomas Bobby Philip: At the 2017 Mumbai marathon, this runner from Bengaluru – running in the 50-55 age category – had finished the full marathon in 2:58:46. This year he improved his timing some more, covering the 42 km-distance in 2:57:17 to place second in his category (50-54 years). The performance notwithstanding, Bobby said that the passage to TMM had been challenging. In mid-October 2017 Bobby was laid low by viral fever. “ It drained me out,’’ he said. Coming up was the New York marathon. He had made all bookings and arrangements to run there. It was too late to back out. Somehow he ran it straining his calves and quads in the process. He finished the New York marathon in 3:13. He took at least two weeks to recover from the effort. “ Overall, I could not prepare well for TMM,’’ he said, adding, “ eventually it was just my mental strength plus a lot of pushing that yielded the improvement in timing by about 90 seconds.’’ If you go through the TMM podium finishes, you will notice that Bobby’s is the last sub-three performance among men securing a place on the podium. In the age categories following his, timings are in the three hour realm and beyond. What should also interest is that his timing is better than at least four podium finishes in age categories noticeably younger than his. Bobby believes that given the improving performances reported by Indian runners, sub-three performances in the amateur category are set to rise. It won’t be a novelty any more. TMM over, Bobby – in a practice he has followed for long – will reduce mileage and focus on intensity to get ready for the TCS 10K in Bengaluru. Thereafter, he will focus on both increased mileage and intensity as the year builds up to the next TMM. These two events are the pivots around which Bobby structures his year in running.

A Seventh Win In The Bag And How!

Sabhajeet Yadav (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Sabhajeet Yadav: Marathon organizers don’t ask him how he reaches the start line. So this year too, the farmer from Dabhiya – winner six times in his age category at the Mumbai marathon – stuck to a practice that has come to be characteristically Sabhajeet. On the trip to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh, his train was terribly late. He reached the city January 19, late at night. He stayed with a friend in Aarey Colony. Next day he collected his bib from the TMM pre-race expo at Bandra-Kurla Complex. That was when Ramavtar Rajbhar of Gorakhpur called. Both men knew each other from previous editions of the Mumbai marathon. According to Sabhajeet, Ramavtar had been a podium finisher in the half marathon some years ago. Their discussion on the phone revolved around a simple topic – what’s the best way to ensure that you are at the start line on time? “ For me, the choice is simple. I come to Mumbai to run the marathon. So the closer you are to the start line, the better it is,’’ Sabhajeet said. Focused on reporting to the race on time and having no desire to be delayed by any of Mumbai’s traffic snarls or rail problems, he has in the past slept at the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The railway terminus is stone’s throw from the start line of the full marathon. It took no time for the two men to agree that the railway station seemed apt solution for their concerns. Later that day, eve of the race, they met in the vicinity of CSMT; Ramavtar had brought with him one more person, a runner from Sholapur. Making a slight departure from tradition, the three runners slept on the footpath near Azad Maidan. “ You can call it sleep but it wasn’t exactly so,’’ Sabhajeet said smiling. A footpath is rarely quiet. Given other footpath dwellers around, he admitted to being tad worried about his bag containing his belongings, none of it luxury and all pertaining to what he required for the race. According to Sabhajeet, the trio spent the night in a haze of light sleep and talk about running, how race day might be and how to tackle the race. Early morning it was a short hop from footpath to start line. Three hours, 29 minutes and 12 seconds after the full marathon commenced, 62 year-old Sabhajeet Yadav had registered a seventh win in his category, the 60-64 years age group. As he slowly advances in age, Sabhajeet has modified the mix of events he participates in – he now runs more half marathons and a few handpicked full marathons, the latter being typically the full marathons of Mumbai and Bengaluru. Besides the seven podium finishes he has accumulated at the Mumbai marathon, he has had seven podium finishes at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) and three podium finishes at TCS 10K. “ I would like to go for Masters Athletics,’’ he said. Should that ever happen, his wish is to run the classic middle distance disciplines. “ I think my chances are strong there,’’ he said. And what if he qualifies to represent the country in Masters? What if he has to travel abroad? “ I will have to go with others as I don’t speak English and won’t be able to manage alone,’’ Sabhajeet said. Aside from well-wishers like Mumbai based-runner Bhasker Desai, who has stood by him and supported him, Sabhajeet has no sponsors. No manufacturer of running gear, no shoe company, none have come to his assistance despite his collection of podium finishes and a style of running that anyone would applaud. And as said, organizers don’t ask him where he slept or how well. Prize money is important for Sabhajeet. “ We grow wheat. Last year the crop was alright as should be this year for rains were good. But the thing with farming is that much of the produce is consumed at home and earnings from any surplus sold is typically ploughed back into the farm,’’ he said illustrating his financial predicament wherein prize money from running matters. On the morning of January 23, he met this blog for a chat at Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus from where the train he was booked on – Chhapra Express – was due to depart. He had three big bags in his hands; a fourth one – a small rucksack – hung on his shoulder. The big bags had been given to him by people from his part of UP, living in Mumbai. They contained gifts to be reached to families residing in three different villages not far from Dabhiya. “ My bag is this small one,’’ Sabhajeet said pointing to the rucksack. Coffee and conversation later, he walked off to board his train. He was scheduled to return in February for the half marathon in Thane.

A Well Organized Race, No Complaints Whatsoever

Bhasker Desai (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Bhasker Desai: Every year, Bhasker spends much time travelling. He makes it a point to be in Mumbai for the annual marathon. He has been running the Mumbai marathon regularly since 2006 and has among his milestones in running, a clutch of 2-3 podium finishes at the event. He has run at several races abroad. But Mumbai is home. That makes the city’s annual marathon, special. Bhasker hasn’t run the full marathon for almost two years. The full marathon needs dedicated training, something he finds difficult to do as he is always on the move. Preference has been for the half. “ I take every day as it comes’’ Bhasker said, admitting alongside that he likes it when he is rewarded with good timing. At 2018 TMM, he finished first in his category (65-69 years) in the half marathon with timing of 1:50:01. “ I am happy overall. Everything at the race was well organized. I have no complaints whatsoever,’’ Bhasker said.

On Target

Vaijayanti Ingawale (Photo: courtesy Vaijayanti Ingawale / Facebook page)

Vaijayanti Ingawale: This was her second marathon at this event. “ I must say it went off very well for me. So far, I have done three marathons, one of them at Sydney, last year. This time around in Mumbai I was familiar both with my ability and the marathon’s course, as I had run the event in January 2017,’’ Vaijayanti said. Her target was to get a sub 4:20. She was able to do that with correct pacing. “ I don’t use any gadgets. I plan my timing for each 10 km-segment. I progressed fairly well as per plan although there were temptations to surge ahead every time you saw someone familiar overtake you. However I did not push myself. I faced no issues at all and the overall arrangement including hydration was well organized,’’ Vaijayanti said. She won the full marathon in her age category (60-64 years) with timing of 4:19:56. “ This time around I trained very systematically and focused a lot on strengthening. I also rearranged my work hours so that I could devote some time to train,’’ she said. According to her, the Mumbai marathon has its own charm. “ There is so much support and encouragement from people. The course is not a very challenging one. I have participated in runs in Sydney, Hawaii and Malaysia and I must say they are organized quite professionally. In places like Sydney and Hawaii the culture of fitness is very strong. Here, the awareness towards long distance running is increasing slowly. I want to now attempt longer distances. I plan to do a 50 km run at Borivali National Park in February,’’ she said.

Berlin On The Cards

Manoj Rane (Photo: by arrangement)

Manoj Rane: “ For this year’s TMM I trained hard for the three months preceding the event. During this time, I got a personal best timing in the half marathon. I also did all my long runs after 8 AM, logging 350-360 kilometers every month from October to December 2017. I felt TMM was better than the earlier Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon in terms of route and hydration. But I did run into a wall of half marathon runners right from Pedder Road till CSMT. That slowed me down. I completed 30 kilometers in 1:56 and was targeting to end the run with timing of 2:45-2:46. But the sharp turns in the last one kilometer made it difficult to maintain the pace. My next runs are the Shirdi Half Marathon and New Delhi Marathon in February. Later this year, in September, I will be attempting the Berlin Marathon. My plan is to attempt Boston Marathon and New York Marathon in 2019,’’ Manoj, who secured second position in the 2018 TMM-full marathon in the age category of 25 to 29 years, said. He completed the distance in 2:47:53.

Satisfied Despite Minor Setback

Pervin Batliwala (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Pervin Batliwala: Sometimes the unexpected strikes. Pervin is a strong runner; veteran of many Mumbai marathons. “ This time I had a problem. Just one week before TMM, I had to be on antibiotics. That left me feeling a bit weak,’’ she said. At 2018 TMM, Pervin finished second in her age category (60-64 years) in the full marathon with timing of 4:21:02. In 2017, when she placed first in her category, she had finished in 4:28:46. “ So its okay,” Pervin said. She had no complaints with race arrangements except for the condition of a stretch of road, which was part of the marathon route. The road at Babulnath, close to where she stays, had been repaired days before the marathon and for some reason its surfacing was left in a poorly finished manner. “ Otherwise, everything was good,’’ she said. Asked about the last stretch of the marathon’s route being changed due to metro work, she said it may have affected some of the elite athletes. But it was most unlikely to make any difference to amateurs. Going ahead, Pervin is due to run the London Marathon in April.

In India, Mumbai Marathon Is Best

K.C. Kothandapani (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

K.C. Kothandapani: Formerly with the Indian Air Force and now among Bengaluru’s best known coaches, Kothandapani finished third in the full marathon in the age group of 60-64 years, at 2018 TMM.  He completed the distance in 3:33:25. “ My run could have been better but for cramps in my left calf muscle at the 20 kilometer-mark. After that it was a struggle. Nevertheless, I was able to achieve my targeted timing of 3:35. In fact, I was able to better it. This time around I did not face the problem of half marathon runners coming in the way of full marathoners. Every year, this is a major issue for marathon runners. This time the organizers had marked a separate lane for marathoners in the last two kilometers. Of course, this must have benefited runners finishing before 3:35 hours. Later they kept the lane free for elite runners. Last year, I did four marathons – Mumbai in January, Tokyo in February, Chicago in October and New York in November. At these destinations, weather and crowd support was extremely favorable. Crowd support is there until the end of the race. In India, Mumbai is the best in terms of support and cheering. This is my eighth outing at the Mumbai marathon. Over these years, competition has increased hugely especially in age categories like 60 to 64 years. Competition among women runners has also gone up. Road quality is not bad though much of the roads that we run on are made of concrete, which is not good for the joints. My next event is the National Masters Meet at Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. I will be attempting the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters and the 2000 meters-steeple chase in my age category. I had qualified for this during last month’s state Masters’ Meet. Once this is done, I will focus on training for Boston Marathon, which is on April 16, followed by Big Sur Marathon in California, on April 29.

The Expo Changed Her Mind

Simta Sharma (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Simta Sharma: “ I was not planning to run this time. I was recovering from an attack of dengue. But when I went to the expo to collect my bib I changed my mind and decided to attempt the race,’’ Simta said. According to her, the 2018 TMM was a great experience. “ In the first two kilometers, I was running alongside the pack of 9-10 elite women athletes. In the third kilometer I overtook them and it stayed so until the tenth kilometer, when they just flew ahead. I could not keep up with their pace,’’ she said. Simta finished second in her age group (30-34 years) in the half marathon with timing of 1:36:11. “ During my training I did feel the impact of dengue as I was not able to keep my pace up at race-pace levels. Also, during TMM, the fag end of the race was tough for me as I kept getting stitches in my stomach,’’ she said. She found the overall arrangements including hydration quite good. “ Cheering was fantastic. I must have heard my name being called out by supporters and runners at least 25-30 times right from Worli until the end of the race,’’ she said. This is my second Mumbai marathon. The last one was in 2016 when I was pacing a friend. I am quite happy with my timing. For me the running season is over with this event. I will now focus on strength training and 10 kilometer-runs,’’ she said. In 2017, Simta had won the Wipro Chennai Marathon in open category.

Not His Finest Finish But Its Podium Still

Dnyaneshwar Tidke (This photo has been downloaded from Dnyaneshwar’s Facebook page.

Dnyaneshwar Tidke: Although he did not have a strong finish this time, Dnyaneshwar could secure a place on the podium. “ I started cramping at the 17 kilometer-mark. This is the first time I got cramps in my entire running career. Initially, I tried to overlook it by running continuously. I did not want to stop. But the cramps kept getting worse. Until 32 km I was able to maintain my target pace but the last 10 km was tough. I took 45 minutes to finish the last 10 km,’’ Dnyaneshwar said. He finished the 2018 TMM full marathon in third position in his age category (40-44 years) with timing of 2:55:44. “ My practice was good but I suffered a knee injury at the Delhi half marathon. I lost 15-20 days resting after this injury. I was worried that my knee may pose problems but it held up well,’’ he said. Mumbai marathon is an important event for him. “ The problem that I faced in the just ended race was wading through a sea of half marathon runners during the latter part of the course. This time during the final stretch I found many wheelchair participants on the course and I had to make my way through them,’’ he said. Dnyaneshwar has run the Boston marathon twice. “ Overseas, marathons are managed very professionally. Basically, there needs to be integration between the civic body and other authorities to help manage a marathon, which is an important event for any city,’’ he said. Dnyaneshwar’s immediate plan in running is to focus on his training and then pay attention to coaching.

A Good Race But Please Don’t Throw Those Bottles On The Course

Khurshid Mistry (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Khurshid Mistry: “ My run went off very well,’’ Khurshid said. She finished second in her age category (50-54 years) at the 2018 TMM half marathon with timing of 1:54:41. According to her, the 5:40 AM start for half marathon runners was very beneficial for early finishers. “ The arrangements for TMM were superb. All details were attended to very well. This time running was easy, public support along the course was fabulous. Mumbai Road Runners had some cheer zones, which was a very good thing for runners. Also, signs and route indicators were very prominent all over the place. There was not much crowding at start this time around. I enjoyed the run thoroughly and I did not have any problems whatsoever,’’ she said. As much of her training for distance running is done on Mumbai roads Khurshid is quite familiar with the marathon’s route. “ That’s a major advantage for us Mumbaikars. I find the Mumbai marathon course moderately challenging. One has to plan the pace correctly. For half marathon runners, as soon as we start, we get the gradient of the Bandra-Worli sea link. This time around the sea link was well lit up but the distressing fact was that runners were throwing bottles right on the course making running difficult,’’ she said. For now, TMM is her last long distance event. “ I will be shifting to training for sprinting as I have events coming up in March and April,’’ she said.

Podium Again But Date With Full, Missed

Idris Mohamed (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Idris Mohamed: In the 2017 edition of the Mumbai marathon, Idris had finished second in his age category (45-50 years) in the half marathon. For the following year in Mumbai, he had set his eyes on the full marathon, something he wanted to do before he turns 50 in May 2018. Idris is at a running event almost every weekend; half marathons dominate the menu. Scheduling a full marathon in between is tricky because it impacts his running calendar with races back to back. As things played out, he had to settle for yet another half marathon at 2018 TMM. On the bright side, he completed the discipline in 1:22:30, which is a two minute-improvement over his timing in 2017. Once again, he finished second in his category. Speaking to this blog on Republic Day (January 26), some days after TMM, Idris said he was due to run a half marathon in Tirunelveli that weekend and then follow it up with the much awaited full marathon, which now stands reserved for the IDBI Full Marathon in Kolkata. Full done, Idris was slated to participate in the National Masters Meet wherein he will compete in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. Should he make it through, then the next step would be the World Masters Athletics Championship scheduled to be held in Spain. As for his half marathon at 2018 TMM he said, “ I am happy with my performance. Everything went smoothly. Perhaps the only issue was those additional turns towards the end as the route was changed owing to ongoing metro work,’’ he said. Asked about hydration, he said he didn’t face any problems because at his pace in the half marathon, he needs to depend on just two aid stations. Overall, Idris said, he didn’t sense any major difference between the 2017 edition of the Mumbai marathon and its reincarnation as TMM.

(The authors, Latha Venkatraman and Shyam G Menon, are independent journalists based in Mumbai.)

Meenal Kotak (Photo: Shyam G Menon)

Meenal Kotak ran her first half marathon in 2013. Since then she has been running much longer distances and, running a lot. This is her story – the mistakes she made, the projects she got into, the milestones she logged.

Early November 2017. The smoky haziness of Delhi’s smog was there even in the walkways of Connaught Place. It was a relief to step in from smog into the controlled atmosphere of the café Meenal Kotak had called from. She was on home turf; apparently a familiar customer at this café and others in the vicinity.

“ I come from a family of chartered accountants,’’ she said. Her father is a CA, who subsequently became partner in a firm of chartered accountants. His four sisters are also chartered accountants. Born 1980, Meenal grew up in an ambiance in which studies were clear priority. There was no sport. She was on the heavier side and by class twelve, weighed 70-75 kilos. Upon completing her graduate studies in Commerce (Hon) from Delhi’s Jesus and Mary College, she wanted to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). But when she got down to preparing for it, she found the syllabus incompatible with her nature. “ I am a very structured person. I need a plan. The syllabus for IAS was too vast,’’ she said.  On the other hand, the road to being CA seemed just her style. “ I am more of a hard worker than a smart worker,’’ she said. The effort and hard work required to clear her CA exams also resulted in a collateral gain – she lost weight, dipping to around 50 kilos. She used to study standing up. If she sat, sleep set in.

By 2004, Meenal finished her CA studies. She joined Citibank, working in corporate banking from 2004 to 2007. Alongside the inevitable tendencies of India spread its tentacles. Well-educated, well-placed young woman must marry. In family of CAs priority was CA for husband. The approach was arranged marriage. So, matrimonial columns in the media were diligently perused and every Saturday was set aside for meeting prospective candidates over a cup of coffee. Sometimes, there would be two dates. The location for many of these dates was the cafes of Connaught Place, Meenal said laughing. Eventually she met Sachin Kotak from Mumbai; a product of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad and working with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). They got married in 2007.

Meenal at her first 24 hour-run, on trail in Bengaluru’s Hennur forests (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

Post-marriage, Sachin had to shift to Germany on a training program. Meenal resigned her job and went along to Berlin. Sachin’s weekdays were spent in Oslo. To keep herself occupied, Meenal commenced learning German, biking and salsa. Then at Sachin’s suggestion, she decided to do a MBA. She cleared the required exams and joined Mannheim Business School, which had an exchange program with IIM Bengaluru. In a reversal of sorts, Sachin moved back to India after a year. Meenal, now a MBA student, stuck on in Germany. By 2009 end, her course completed, Meenal joined Sachin in Mumbai. The shift cost her any opportunity she may have enjoyed in campus placement. A few other parameters had changed – she weighed 85 kilos, had hyperthyroidism and allergic asthma. In 2010, the couple moved back to Delhi, where Meenal went to work at her father’s firm – Dhamija Sukhija & Co; it was into audit and taxation. It was also the start of another trial. The Delhi she was returning to didn’t feel like the Delhi she had left. Air pollution levels had picked up and Meenal was asthmatic.

Meenal’s brother – according to her, he was always sure he wanted to join his father’s work – had become CA and joined Dhamija Sukhija & Co. For Meenal, the firm was a tough environment initially. “ Small companies are always on cost saving mode. My work experience started at Citibank. I got even more used to corporate attitudes after marriage, not to mention, life in Germany. At my father’s firm, even interactions had to be face-to-face, not email. The initial phase was therefore testing,’’ Meenal said. After two years, she started to enjoy her work. By 2012-2013, she had also joined a gym to shed weight. As her weight slowly dropped and her back problems too reduced, Meenal became a regular 10 km-runner on the gym’s treadmill. “ I was very comfortable in that sweaty environment,’’ she said. Then a friend registered her for one of the editions of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM). The year was 2013, month – December. She secured a sub-two hour finish in her very first half marathon, her first outing as `runner.’ ADHM was a turning point. “I was never an outdoors person but that half marathon was a liberating experience. It was both stress buster and challenge. When it ended, a race ended for me and a journey began. There has been no looking back since,’’ Meenal said. The discovery of a running ecosystem also helped. According to Meenal, when she ran her first ADHM, the first shock she had was – Delhi has so many runners! That was potential support group for the journey ahead.

Meenal at her first 12 hour-stadium run in Bengaluru (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

Not long after ADHM, she got a timing of 1 hour 49 minutes at a half marathon in Jaipur. She was a podium finisher. Then she learned an important lesson. In April 2014 she suffered a patella injury, a consequence of doing too much too soon. Further, lost to the joy of running, she had overlooked other ingredients that mattered – stretching, strengthening and yoga. Her doctor, Dr Rajat Chauhan, advised her to reduce her pace. Meanwhile, Meenal had registered for the upcoming full marathon in Hyderabad. In 2014 she joined Delhi Runners’ Group (DRG), where one of those she met was Spanish runner, Alfredo Miranda, known to assist fellow runners improve their running. “ He is my mentor,’’ Meenal said. Given full marathon signed up for, Meenal tagged along with Alfredo for long runs. Eventually she completed the Hyderabad marathon in 4 hours 46 minutes. Just before the Hyderabad event, she chanced to read Amit Seth’s book on running Comrades in South Africa. The idea of ultramarathon, appealed. Comrades in mind, she signed up for the Bangalore Trail Ultra scheduled for November 2014. She enrolled for the 75 km-category, which entailed running three loops of 25 km each. Completing the distance in 10 hours13 minutes, Meenal had a podium finish at the event (according to her that was a course record). She was amazed by the progress in her running but not everyone was happy. Alfredo had drawn up a running plan for her; she hadn’t followed it. Dr Chauhan, who she had consulted following patella injury wasn’t amused one bit. He pointed out that Meenal was breaking rules on two fronts – she was ramping up distance too fast and her pace wasn’t slow yet.

On its website, Mayo Clinic describes bursitis as a painful condition that affects small, fluid-filled sacs called bursae that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near joints. Bursitis occurs when bursae become inflamed. The most common locations for bursitis are in the shoulder, elbow and hip. Three to four days after the Bangalore Trail Ultra, Meenal developed bursitis in the hip. Comrades was off. Even ADHM seemed a question mark. Despite painful hip, Meenal ran the 2014 ADHM, completing it in 2 hours 05 minutes. But she suffered an asthma attack en route. “ I didn’t know what was happening,’’ she said of that phase with multiple problems piling up. Amid this she realized that the hip genuinely needed recovery. “ Alfredo hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that many of those who ran the Bangalore Trail Ultra and still did ADHM comfortably had been running for long. Their recovery system was in place,’’ she said. Meenal accepted the need for course correction. She rested for over two months. She didn’t even run on treadmill. Instead, she did strengthening exercises. In May 2015, she went for the 12 hour-stadium run in Bengaluru. In the run up to the event, she read the book by Anand Anantharaman who ran a half marathon on every continent. She asked herself: why not an ultra on every continent? At the May 2015 stadium run, she emerged a podium finisher. Since then, Meenal has been running only ultramarathons. Although anything exceeding marathon distance qualifies to be ultramarathon, in practice they come in varied formats. Some are supported long distance runs starting at point A and finishing at point B; some are on road, some are off road (trail running), some are self-supported and some – like stadium runs – are run as multiple repeats of a loop. There are runs measured by distance, where time is more a byproduct and runs measured by time where distance is byproduct. Each type of run brings its own challenge. Outdoors can be challenging because it is raw nature. But experiencing difficult terrain and weather is what motivates some runners. Loops at stadiums are in comparison more contained environment, but they can be trying for the monotony they inflict on runner unprepared for it. How do you sustain the same route for hours on end? Meenal said she likes enduring loops like those found in stadiums and specially assigned circuits. In November 2015, she completed the 24 hour-run as part of Bangalore Trail Ultra, upping the challenge from running for 12 hours, to 24 hours.

Meenal and Commodore Joginder Chandna, during a 36 hour-stadium run in Bengaluru (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

The ultramarathon is unique in that it often features dedicated support crew. Staged events typically come with their own support crew but the nature of ultramarathon is such that sometimes runners have people close to them, at hand for any required assistance. Those knowing runner well are also best placed to anticipate his / her needs or point out when things are going wrong. Sachin – at the time of writing he was a partner and managing director at BCG – became Meenal’s support crew. “ He is always there for my major ultramarathons,’’ she said. According to Sachin, he has no background in sports. The drift to being support crew was natural; it’s what good friends do for each other. Notwithstanding his considerable experience as Meenal’s support crew, Sachin still doesn’t run. “ I am a consultant. That’s what I do for a living,’’ he said in jest, explaining his link to running. Meenal is also among those who enjoy running with others. “ I can’t run alone, I need company,’’ she said. One of her regular friends in running has been Commodore Joginder Chandna. “ He is always calm and composed yet has the hunger for miles,’’ she said.

According to Commodore Chandna, he must have begun running seriously around the same time Meenal did. His first official half marathon was at the 2013 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM – now called Tata Mumbai Marathon / TMM). At a DRG run in Delhi, around 2014, he met Meenal. “ She sets these huge targets and personal goals,’’ Commodore Chandna said. The second time they met, Meenal introduced him to the Sandakphu 70 Mile Himalayan Race, she was planning to go for. Such distances were new for Commodore Chandna but Meenal convinced him to attempt it. The two trained together for it although eventually that race didn’t happen due to the Nepal earthquake. That was the beginning of a partnership in running. From then till the time the naval officer left Delhi, the duo ran several ultramarathons on the domestic circuit together. Commodore Chandna said that Meenal’s propensity for big targets had an impact on his running too. “ I would have otherwise remained a runner of half marathons,’’ he said. Commodore Chandna’s first full marathon was at the 2015 SCMM (now TMM); in Meenal’s company, he has run several ultramarathons. According to him, Meenal typically ended a race already planning the next one. He felt that tendency to plan and set goals, was a product of the combined natures of Meenal and Sachin.

Sachin and Meenal on the ship to Antarctica (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

In 2016, Meenal decided to do a full marathon in Antarctica; that being logistically the most difficult in her plan to do an ultra in all the continents. She practised for it at her local park in Delhi; she wore layers of clothing during her practice runs to mimic how she would be running in Antarctica.  For the event, Sachin and Meenal travelled to Buenos Aires in Argentina and from there to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. At Ushuaia, commonly regarded as the southern most city in the world, they boarded a ship to Antarctica. The event she had signed up for on the frozen continent featured a 7.5 km-loop. The course began and ended at the Russian base but passed close to the Uruguayan, Chilean and Chinese bases. “ The course was windy; slippery ice trail and the temperature ranged from minus 30 to minus 40 degrees centigrade,’’ Meenal said. She had on five upper body layers and four lower body layers plus balaclava, three caps, four socks, mittens, gloves, hand-warmers, toe-warmers – the works. The plan was to finish running at the event (it was a marathon) and then put in an additional eight kilometers to make it an ultramarathon. However as soon as the event finished and she paused to have water and take a few photographs, her body slipped into hypothermia. She started shivering. She was moved to the ship followed by a change of attire from sweaty layers to fresh ones. Meenal completed those critical eight kilometers in the ship’s gym.

Meenal and Commodore Chandna with the three service chiefs – Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Admiral Sunil Lanba and General Bipin Rawat – on Army Day, at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, New Delhi. The duo ran 21 half marathons in the days between Navy Day and Army Day (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

The next event she registered for was a 24 hour-run organized by Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Basel, Switzerland. With the run scheduled for May 2017 and Meenal’s regular running partner Commodore Chandna shifted to Kochi, she began looking for anyone equally committed to running, to train with. The person she turned to was Mamta Jaiswal. She had first met the software engineer, younger to her by a decade, during a project to run 42 km for ten days. On one of those days, the club Mamta was member of – Sunday Run Club – offered support. At that time, Mamta was a casual runner, doing distances of five and ten kilometers. She didn’t know anything about the ultramarathon. Impressed by Meenal, she asked if she could run with her. “ Meenal has a very positive attitude. She said – why not?’’ Mamta recalled. That was the beginning of her journey in distance running. Mamta’s first ultra was the Shimla Ultra; the list has been steadily growing. Asked if she saw herself as an ultrarunner now, she said, “ if you ask me whether that is how I see myself, I would say: I have a lot of hard work to do before I can call myself so.’’ When Basel loomed, Meenal asked Mamta if she would be interested in running at Basel. The two began training together in Delhi. “ This was my toughest training period. I wished to ramp up mileage, I also wanted to do a 100 miler in Europe,’’ Meenal said. Mamta traveled with her to Basel. It was the first time Indian women were coming all the way from India to participate in the event. “ Everything went alright for the first four hours. Then I started to cramp,’’ Meenal said. Sachin was not around as support crew. The event’s physio advised that she pack up. Meenal nevertheless managed to cover 153 km in 24 hours. She and Mamta placed third; this was despite the duo slipping to sixth position in between. However one goal stayed beyond reach on that trip – Meenal couldn’t secure her first 100 miler. In May 2017, she also participated in the 24 hour-stadium run in Mumbai, logging 137.6 km.

(From left) Aparna Chowdhury, Meenal, Ullas and Kieren D’Souza at Belfast (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

In June 2017, Meenal got the opportunity to participate at the 24 Hour World Championship held in Belfast. It is an event organized by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) and held every two years. It is the only IAU event with a limited time format as opposed to being distance-based. In India, the ultramarathon had for long not been recognized formally under the many disciplines of running. According to Meenal, that situation changed mainly due to the efforts put in by Peter D’Souza, whose son Kieren is among India’s most promising young ultrarunners. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) came around to recognizing the sport. This recognition was critical for Indian athletes participating in the event at Belfast. The course at Belfast was a 1.1 km loop; it was almost flat. As of 2017, the course record for women was 252.205 km set in 2013 by Mami Kudo of Japan (she was IAU’s athlete of the year for 2012 and 2013) at Steenbergen in Netherlands. At the event in Belfast, two women participated from India – Meenal and Aparna Chowdhury. They represented a country still new to ultrarunning and within that, having a small pool of woman ultrarunners. “ We knew we were nowhere globally but at the same time, not so very nowhere,’’ Meenal, who hadn’t run her first 100 miler till the Belfast event, said. All teams came with their own support crew, some comprehensive and drilled to perfection. For the four runners from India – besides Meenal and Aparna there were two male runners, one of who was Kieren D’Souza – Sachin was crew.

He recalled the disparity between the Indians and the others. Some of the support crew had their own physiotherapist, doctor, even dietician. Their runners had perfected their diet for such races; they also knew how to eat and drink on the go. Excuses like I don’t want to drink now or eat now – they don’t feature. What to eat and when to eat have been worked out and the support crew makes sure it happens. It enhances the number of good hours a runner enjoys. “ They have a plan,’’ Sachin said of those teams. The difference lay in the style of approach for the domestic ultrarunning circuit in India has similar 12 hour and 24 hour-runs to serve as launch pad. Traveling with Meenal, Sachin has been to several of these events. Unfortunately in India, he believes, runners don’t attach adequate priority to perfecting their on-course food intake and hydration while the presence of aid stations and the way they are managed, are taken lightly. Runners overlook timely replenishment of calories burnt and aid stations don’t proactively engage. Result – when it’s time for cutting edge competition like a world championship, there’s no plan anyone is used to, leave alone got perfected. At Belfast, Meenal completed the event with 160.4 km logged; Aparna logged 169.

Meenal with Mamta Jaiswal at the 48 hour-stadium run in Bengaluru (Photo: courtesy Meenal)

In August 2017, Bengaluru was host to a 48 hour-run. Meenal and Mamta decided to attempt it; their plan was to run together and set a new record, potentially admissible in the Limca Book of Records. By the end of 48 hours at the event, they had logged 251.6 km. Meenal plans to apply for the record under the partnership category. Running together with someone and crucially, coordinating it such that milestones reached are officially recognized as shared is not easy. It requires synchronization. This is possible when you are running loops but sustained synchronization amid runner progressively exhausted by each loop run, is challenging. “ More than commitment I would say it is the need of the hour,’’ she said placing her partnership with Mamta in the context of problems women –runners included – face in India. “ Meenal gives me energy. It is always pleasant to run with her,’’ Mamta said. At the time of writing, the next major event Meenal had in mind as part of her plan to run an ultra on every continent was a 24 hour-stadium run in Australia, due March 17-18, 2018.

On the average, Meenal ran a hundred kilometers in Delhi every week. Every two weeks the mileage built up, peaked, plateaued and then lowered. She ran five to six days per week. One day was reserved for strength training, another, for rest. What hung like a Damocles Sword was that winter smog. Meenal keeps inhaler at hand but combating environment worsening through human activity, is hardly the focus any runner seeks. It’s one of the great paradoxes of life – the refined ethic endurance sport gifts the individual and the toxicity of our collective existence we seem to have no solution for.

(The author, Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai. This article is based mostly on a conversation with Meenal Kotak. Details of events and timings at races are as provided by interviewee.)